Abby A

Have you ever considered the interplay between the rules of our society and the way we live? This club is all about discussing how laws influence people, whether they are reasonable, or whether they are effective. All meetings will have a central topic on a certain law or policy such as gun control, drug policies, the death penalty, etc. Feel free to join and share your perspective on the rules that govern everyday society! 🧠Dialogues Discussion Guide Topic Questions: Incarceration & Criminal Justice Policing Gun Control Drug Policy The Death Penalty Euthanasia & Assisted Dying Discussion Agenda: 🧊 Ice Breakers (5 minutes) 🤔 Initial Views & Personal Influences (5–10 minutes) 🌐 Differing Perspectives (10–20 minutes) 🧠 Reflection (5 minutes) 📣 Survey (5 minutes) Discussion Questions 🧊 Ice Breakers (5 minutes) ● Take turns sharing the following: Your name, where you live, what drew you to participate in Dialogues, and if this is your first Dialogues conversation. Choose 1-2 other icebreaker questions to discuss if you’d like: ● How would you describe the country or area you live in? ● How would you describe your school? ● What is your favorite subject in school? ● What are your favorite activities or hobbies? 🤔 Initial Views and Personal Influences (5-10 minutes) Take turns exchanging initial views for the discussion topic: Which stance is closest to your views on the role of this legal topic? ● This legal policy is effective because... ● This legal policy is ineffective because... ● I am neutral because... 🌐 Differing Perspectives (10-20 minutes) Steelman the opposing view Steelmanning is the practice of doing your best to communicate the strongest possible argument for an opposing view. ● If you and your partner agree, work together to steelman the opposing view. ● If you and your partner disagree, take turns steelmanning your partner’s view. 🧠 Reflection (5 minutes) Discuss at least one of the following discussion reflection questions: Based on what you each shared: ● What did you most appreciate about your conversation partner? ● What was most meaningful/valuable to you in this conversation? ● What new learnings or deeper perspectives did you gain from the conversation? ● What was one thing you and your conversation partner had in common? ● What was an area where you and your conversation partner disagreed? 📣 Post-Discussion Survey Be sure to complete the post-discussion survey. Your feedback helps improve future sessions. Discussion Guidelines 🙇 Respect: Be kind even if you disagree. 👂 Listen: Don’t dominate the convo. Give everyone a turn. 💞 Empathy: Try to understand where others are coming from. 💡 Curiosity: Ask questions and explore ideas, not just defend your own. 🎨 Authenticity: Be honest and open. 💫 Ownership: Keep the conversation productive and on-topic. 🤐 Confidentiality: Don’t share personal info about your partner with others.

Have you ever considered the interplay between the rules of our society and the way we live? This club is all about discussing how laws influence people, whether they are reasonable, or whether they are effective. All meetings will have a central topic on a certain law or policy such as gun control, drug policies, the death penalty, etc. Feel free to join and share your perspective on the rules that govern everyday society! Join a virtual Dialogue Club to form a community with students from around the world. Dialogue Clubs meet every other week to discuss a new topic. By participating in 3+ Dialogue sessions, you will get a Dialogues portfolio you can submit with your college applications to our university partners.